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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Gateway to the West

Last night the fun of seeing our family continued when my aunt and uncle and Grandpa from Michigan drove down to see us.:) It is always a time full of laughing and fun when everyone is together.:) ﻿

Today we headed off to Saint Louis to see the arch a.k.a. the Gateway to the west. This monument was completed in 1965, it is a monument to the idea of Thomas Jefferson sending Louis and Clark off on their great expedition to explore the great frontier. That is all well and good, but the kids couldn't believe how big it was!!! I came here when I was five with my parents and I was so excited for the kids to experience going up in the arch, too.:)
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mom, Mary, Grandpa and the kids

﻿ The museum at the foot of the arch is great for explaining the expansion into the west of North America. there were so many neat exhibits for the kids ( and adults) to look at which explained how the pioneers settled the frontier and about the lives of the native Americans. It is definitely worth checking out!!:)
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Small arch inside the museum

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Native American exhibit with Mom and Mary

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kids and Grandpa in front of a huge buffalo

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Dad and the kids:)

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Jeremy touching beaver skins which the Native Americans would trap

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Of course, we had to go on the tram to go up the 630 feet to the top of the arch. I was feeling okay about it until they said it was the original tram which was built in 1965...then, I got a little nervous. When I went up in the arch when I was five, I wasn't as worried about all the safety issues.;)
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getting ready to get on the tram:)

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Yes, the elevator is really that small..only 4 -5 five people can ride in it...it is not for anyone who is claustrophobic

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Mom, Dad, and the kids at the top of the arch...we made it!!!! ( It took 4 minutes to get to the top)

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Old capital building

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"what's out there?"

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Mom and Lizzy looking out

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Mighty Mississippi

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Uncle Dave and Jeremy:)

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yep...it's really 630 feet up!!!

﻿Today was so fun to get to experience the arch again. It is neat to experience the arch through a child's eyes and now through my own adult eyes. Some things seem very different...but the excitement of getting to the top is definitely the same.:) The kids loved it an best of all, we got to experience it with dear members of our family!:)

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About Me

I was a Kindergarten teacher for seven years before staying home with my children. I lived in Nigeria with my husband and children for three years. We have recently moved back to the U.S., and I am stumbling through the adjusmtent of being back. This blog is a combination of ramblings about expat life, kids and everything in between.:)

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Ishahayi Beach School Foundation

Check out www.ibsfnigeria.org/ to see what is happening with the Ishahayi Beach School Foundation. This foundation is a wonderful charity to help with Nigerian children's education. Since I was a teacher, it is an organization which is close to my heart.